Scholarships

Here we have gathered scholarship opportunities for female law students. This is not an exhaustive list, but are the main opportunities we have been made aware of.

CWLA Scholarships

Top Non-Honours Female Law Student

The Canterbury Women’s Legal Association's scholarship honours the top non-honours female law student from the University Canterbury following the completion of her degree. No application is required as the recipient is chosen by way of recommendation by the Law School. The scholarship is a one off award of $500.

The scholarship winner for the 2021 year will be announced at the CWLA Christmas Luncheon in November / December 2022.

Lady Dorothy Thompson Scholarships

The Lady Dorothy Thompson scholarships were established by Lady Thompson's family and are administered by the Canterbury Women in Law Association. Lady Thompson was the second woman to graduate with a law degree from Canterbury University.

Each year the top two women studying at the Institute of Professional Legal Studies in Christchurch are awarded with this scholarship. The current amounts are $500 for the top student and $300 for the runner up.

The scholarships are presented annually at the Canterbury Women in Law Association's annual general meeting.

Previous scholarship recipients include:

  • 2022: Kelly Stitely (top student) and Maddy Brownlee (runner up).

  • 2021: Beatrice Holman and Jordan Whitteker-Love (Equal top students).

  • 2020: Elaina Pemberton, Tegan Wadworth and Leandra Feinnes (Equal top students).

  • 2019: Emma-Jane Moore (top student) and Katrina Hope (runner up).

  • 2018: Julia Laing (top student) and Madeline France (runner up).

  • 2017: Rachel Pfahlert (top student) and Caroline Edwards and Holly Jamieson (runner up).

  • 2016: Josie Ganly (top student) and Kavinna Dhepyasuwan (runner up).

  • 2015: Marianne Dutkiewicz (top student) and Rebecca Cook (runner up).

  • 2014: Shelley Robotham (top student) and Aja Trinder (runner up).

Other Scholarship Opportunities for Women

University of Canterbury

The University of Canterbury provides several scholarships specifically for women. These include:

  • New Zealand Law Foundation Ethel Benjamin Prize (For Women): The Trustees of the New Zealand Law Foundation established this scholarship to mark the centenary of the admission of Ethel Benjamin as the first woman barrister.

  • Helen Macmillan Brown Bursaries (each year at least one must be offered to a woman): This scholarship was established by Emeritus Professor John Macmillan Brown, in memory of his wife, who was the first woman to graduate from the University of Canterbury. The amount is $2,500 per annum and the scholarship runs for 3 years.

  • New Zealand Federation of Graduate Women (Inc) Canterbury Branch Trust Board Scholarships: These scholarships are open to women students who are enrolled full time for any Bachelor's degree programme at the University of Canterbury. The amount is $4,500 and the scholarship runs for 1 year.

  • Sir William Hartley Scholarship: The scholarship was founded by Mrs Clara Gabbat in honour of her father, the late Sir William Hartley. The scholarship is open to a woman who has been a student of the University of Canterbury for at least one year and who has obtained a Bachelor's degree or higher in a New Zealand university, and is capable of obtaining a Doctor's degree at an English University. The amount is $10,000 and the scholarship runs for 3 years.

  • Yvonne A M Smith Scholarship: This scholarship is for postgraduate study in the United Kingdom for women. The scholarship is for one year and the amount is $50,000.

For more information please refer to the University's scholarship website: http://www.canterbury.ac.nz/scholarships

The New Zealand Federation of Women's Institutes

The New Zealand Federation of Women's Institutes provides scholarships specifically for women. These include:

  • Barbara Wood Memorial Foundation: These scholarships were established to commemorate the life and work of the late Barbara Wood. The scholarships offer financial assistance to provide training opportunities for students in New Zealand and the South Pacific region. The amount is $1,000 per annum and run for 1 year, although successful recipients can apply again in any subsequent year.

  • Barbara Wood Memorial Foundation – Second Change Award: Second-chance education awards are for women who are enrolled in a tertiary qualification and are a one off grant to help with study and/or living expenses. Awards range from $1,000 to $4,000

For more information please refer to the Federations scholarship website: http://www.wi.org.nz/Site/Scholarships/

Zonta Club of Christchurch-Canterbury

The Zonta Clubs of Canterbury offer a Zonta International Canterbury Tertiary Education Scholarship. This scholarship was established to assist women completing a tertiary course of study. The amount is up to $3,000 and the scholarship can run for up to three years. More information can be found here: http://www.cpit.ac.nz/study-options/scholarships/scholarships/zonta-international-canterbury-tertiary-educational-scholarship